Following the re-emergence of Bareknuckle Combat as a sanctioned, legitimate MMA sport, Bareknuckle Heavyweight Champion and best-selling author James Quinn-McDonagh will host a new Reality TV show next year, in search of the next Worldwide Freestyle Combat Champion.

The show, being produced by multi-award winning production company One Shot Entertainment in association with Quinn Promotions, will take sixteen elite fighters hand-picked by James Quinn-McDonagh to an intensive boot camp in mid-Wales.

Each week, fighters will compete in a variety of challenges to remain in the competition. The contest will culminate in a live Fight Night at an undisclosed venue in the UK, where finalists will compete for a professional MMA contract, Deadliest Fight Champion Belt and a £20,000 cash prize.

Applications to appear on the show will be taken from February 2013, where prospective fighters will be asked to submit a brief resume and training video. The final sixteen combatants will be selected personally by James Quinn-McDonagh. It is hoped that the contest will attract fighters from around the globe.

Announcing the contest, James Quinn-McDonagh said: “There’s some really amazing fighters from all parts of the world, that are just waiting to be discovered. We want to find the next star of the MMA world – the man who can overcome every obstacle, and demonstrate physical and mental agility, skill, endurance, stamina and dedication to the sport.”

All fights throughout the series will be contested to a strict rulebook, approved by the International Bareknuckle Boxing Federation (IBKBF) chaired by Bareknuckle Historian Michael Blackett. The fighters well-being and safety will be paramount at all times, with medical professionals on hand for all fights. The fighters’ physical and psychological well-being will also be monitored throughout the progression of the show.

The show follows the recent re-surgence of bareknuckle boxing in popular culture and MMA. The first sanctioned Bareknuckle Boxing bout in the UK, in over 100 years, recently took place in Newcastle last month, as part of a larger MMA card from Action Promotions. UFC legend Ken Shamrock recently said: “This direction of Bareknuckle boxing is really what I was looking for in the world of MMA. Let’s get back to this reality of what the fight game is about. It’s not about gloves and gear. It’s about discipline – going into a ring and applying your discipline to win a fight.”

The show will be available via digital streaming at www.deadliestfight.com. The shows will be optimised to be viewable on all major iPods, iPads, tablets and other similar devices. Negotiations are also ongoing for the show to be aired on Digital TV.